Hover for oil-burning brooders



June'12, 1928. 1,673,334

J. T. LANDGRAF HOVER FOR OIL BURNING\ BROODERS Filed J'y 25; 1927 Patented June 12, 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE.

JACOB T. LANDGRAF, OF MACOMB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL PRODUCTS CO., 0F MACOMB, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HOVER FOR OIL-BURNING BROODERS.

Application led July 25,

My invention relates to hovers for chicken broeders, and in its general objects aims to overcome several difliculties encountered in such broeders, particularly when an oil burner is employed as the source of heat.

T/Vhen an oil burner is used in such a broeder, the intensity and height of the resulting liame varies both with the level of the oil at the burner, the condition of the wick, and the quality of the oil. Consequently, the eiiicient and smokeless operation of the oil burner demandsan occasional inspection ofthe flame. Since it is advisable to have the hover extend to within y relatively few inches of the ground, the

user can only see the general condition of the flame by placing his head close to the ground. And even in this inconvenient position, the user cannot note the condition of )0 the wick, as that can only be judged by looking downward into the burner. In view of these difliculties, oil-burning brooders are too often operated inefliciently and without a proper maintaining of the desirable temperature for the chicks under the hover. Allied difficulties have also been encountered with gas-burner broeders owing to the variations in the pressure of the gas.

Moreover, changes in both the atmospheric temperature and in prevailing air currents affect the circulation of air within the broeder, so that it is also difficult to keep this air suiliciently fresh without eX- posing the chicks to undesirable drafts.

My present invention aims to overcome such disadvantages of customary hover constructions by providing simple and conveniently located means for permitting an inspection of the flame, and by providing simple and easily regulated means for v entilating the hover. Moreover, my invention aims to provide a hover for this `purpose which can readily be built in a low and inexpensive form, which will effectively distribute and conserve the upward rays of heat from the burner, and one in which neither the burner-observation provisions nor the Ventilating arrangement will'interfere with this conserving and distributing of the heat.

Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which 1927. Serial No. 208,132.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of an oil-burning brooder embodying my invention, with portions ofthe hover in central an-dvertical section. `F 2 is an enlarged central and vertical section through upper portions of the hover;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view of the central part of the hover, drawn on the same scale asFig. 2 and showing the obser vation apertures in the top member `of the stationary portion of the hover.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the liever, showing co-operating Ventilating openings in the stationary hover portion and v in the rotatable hover canopy. e

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View similar `to the left-hand part of Fig. 2 but showing another construction of the upper hover portion and ofthe canopy or top mem, ber of the hover. y

Fig. 6 is a reduced bottom view of the central portion of the liever of Fig. 5.

In the illustrated embodiment, Fig. l shows an oil-heated brooder in which the oil burner l projects above a burner casing 2 seated on the floor, the burner being vertically adjustable in any usual manner for controlling the flame by varying .the level of theoil at the burner.

The burner is hooded by a hover consisting of a substantially horizontal top plate 3 having at its periphery adownwardly liaring flange 4 to which the truncated and also downwardly flaring frustro-conical side por-` tion 5 is secured, this securing being preferably by detachable bolts` 6 so that the said side portion can be built of radial sections made of metal sufficiently thin to be shipped flat. Legs 7 supportthe side portion 5 with the lower edge of the latter sufficiently above theground to permit vthe chicks to pass under it.

Thus arranged, the hover proper can be built in a relatively low and compact form, as its top plate 3 will serve as a deflector for distributing the heat of the burner llame radially outward, thereby making an inexpensive and highly eflicient hover. How` ever, without further provisions, such a low mounting of the hover makes it decidedly inconvenientfor the user to get any idea as to the burnerflame, and impossible for the user to see the condition of tliewick without lifting the hover and thereby exposing ien the chicks to undesired drafts. Moreover, the nearness of the hover top to the Haine Would cause that top to transmit a large amount or the heat tothe air above it, thereby Wasting fuehivhile the central position oi. the burner ivould deter sufficient movements or air to keep this fresh for the chicks.

T o overcome all or these objections, I provide a movable and heat-insulated hover top, together with suitably disposed Ventilating aperture, here shown as follows:

In the hover top plate 3 I provide at least one and desir-ably a plurality of apertures 8, preferably near the cente'rvot this plate so as to be approximately over the burner, thereby iern'iitting the user to look down in'to the urne'r for a 'convenient observation of the flame and the wick. These apertures 8 are normally closed by a detachable hover canopy 'or top member which has its main portion covering the entire top plate '3 of the hover, 'and this main portion preferably is of an efiective lieatinsul`ating nature. IVith the latter feature in mind, this canopy top desirably includes a top plate 9, a bottom plate 10 and an interposed filling l1 of mineral ivood or other heatinsnlating material, these plates being connected by suitable means (such as rivets 19.) ivhich clamp the heat-insulating filling between them.

Extending doivnivard from the edge of the top plate 9 is an annular Wall 9A which peripherally houses the heat-insulating material, and this Wall has as its continuation a 'doiv'n'iifardly flaring flange 9B seated on 'the flange 4 of the hover top, whereby the parts 9, 9A and 9B together constitute afineniber shaped like an inverted dinner plate. The tivo llanges 9B and l are provided with perforations 1l and 15 adapted to aline with each rother to aiord vVentilating openings, and ir the 4side portion 5 of the liever Vpr'oper extends as high as these openings, itl also has perforations 16 alining with the perrora'tions 15 inthe flange 4 of the hover top, as shoi'vn in Fig. 2. By rotating the canopy top on'the hover proper, the perforation's 14 Ican be disposed out of alin'ement with those in the `hover proper, or in partially overlapping relation as shoivn in Fig. Ll), thereby permitting the user to regulate the lextent or the ventilation. To facilitate this rotation, I desirably provide interengaging pivot -means on the top or the hover 'proper and on the said canopy. For this purpose, Fig. 2 shows screw-eye 1T secured centrally to the canopy and haring its stein 17"'exte11diiig through a central perforation 18 in the top plate 3 of the hover proper.

Thus arranged, the ventire canopy top (or vtop ineinber) can readily be lifted olf the hover p'roper-desirably by sliding a 'rod through the screw-eye and using this rod 'as a handle, as the eye itself inay be hoh-so as to permit the user to look down into the burner. The screw-eye also facilitates the rotating oi' the 'canopy on the hover proper for controlling the ventilation through the apertures 14 to 16, as a slight raising of the canopy by means olf the screw-eye lifts the flange 9 oli the hover proper, so that the 'canopy (or top member) is then freely ro tatable about the journaling connection of the shank 17A of the screuveye lo the top of the hover proper. VVhen these apertures are even partially aliiied, the hot nir within the hover 'Will cause an upward draft through there, so that I can readily Secure ventla 'tion to any desired extent.

By constructing the hover side portion o sections ivhich can be packed flat and by using a relatively shallow top member (0, 9^, 9B), I permit the entire hover to be vpacked,in a quite small crate. With the lange 9B or the canopy (op resting on the iiaiige 4 of the hover top, the annular part 9^ of the canopy top may be suiiciently tall to provide an air space between the plates 3 `and l0 to serve 'as 'an additional heat insulation Yfor reducing the loss of heat through the top of the broeder, as shown in Figi. 2. IIoivever, I do not wish to be limited to this or other details of the coiistruction and arrangement above described, as man v changes 'Could obviously be made Without departing either from the spirit or n'iy invention oiitroin the appended claims. Thus, it ivill be evident that the side portion 5, the top S and the connecting flange i of the hover forni a rigid structure, so that it is immaterial 'of how many parts the resulting hover is cons'tructed.

Illustrative of modifications, Fig. 5 shows 'upper portions of a brooder hood in which the llaring side portion terminates belouv 'the 'vei'itila'ting perforation 1G, and in which the seating flange 1) is integral with the hoi,- 'toni plate 2O or a canopy or top member, which member includes a solid disk 2l oi heat insulating 'material secured to the, said plate i520 b'y riye'ts The flange l() has an upturned outer edge 23 whereby it may be lir'ted or rotated, andthe lcanopy has alned perforations 24 and 25 in the disk Q1 and the plate 20. These perforations 2li and '25 are rotaytionall'y displaced :troni the perforations 8 and 16 'in the hover, as indicated in Fig. 6, vso that they will only aline with a periora tion S in the hover proper when the radially outward ve'i'itilating perror-ations le and 1G l do not aline. 1With this arrangement, `the canopy or top member need not be detached for looking into the burner, hut is merely partially rotated for that purpose.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hover for use over a broeder heater, comprising a downwardly flaring side portion and latop member rotatable on the side portion, the side ortion and ythe top ineinber having per 'orations adapted to be loa brought into and out of alinement by rotation of the top member with respect to the side portion.

2. Thel combination with a hover having a perforation in its upper portion, of a top member rotatable on the hover and having a perforation adapted to be brought into alinement with the perforation in the hover by rotational movement of the top member, and a lifting member secured to the top member and journaled in the hover.

3. The combination with a hover having a perforation in its upper portion, of a top member rotatable on the hover and having a perforation adapted to be brought into alinement with the perforation in the hover by rotational movement of the top member, and a screw eye extending downwardly through the center of the top member and secured to the latter and journaled in the center of the top of the hover.

4;. The combination with a hover having a perforation near the center of its top and having another perforation in an upper portion distant from its center, of a top member detachable from the hover and rotatable with respect to the hover, the top member having an imperforate portion normallyT closing the first named perforation and having an aperture adapted to be disposed in or out of alinement with the second named perforation according to the rotational position of the top member with respect to the hover.

5. In combination, a hover having a substantially horizontal disk-like top and having a Ventilating opening in an upper portion of the hover radiall outward of the said top, and a top mem er movable upon the hover, the top member including a heatinsulating portion substantially covering the said disk-like top and another portion arranged for controlling the ventilating opening by movements of the top member with respect to the hover.

6. In combination, a hover having a substantially horizontal disk-like top and having' a Ventilating opening in an upper portion of the hover radially outward of the said top, and a top member movable upon the hover, the top member including a heatinsulating portion substantially covering they said disk-like top and another portion arranged for controlling the Ventilating opening by movements of the top member with respect to the hover, the disk-like top having a perforation normally closed by the heat-insulating portion of the top member but adapted to be opened when the top member is suitably moved.

7. In combination, a hover having a substantially horizontal disk-like top and having a Ventilating opening in an upper portion of the hover radially outward of the said top7 and a: top member movable upon the hover, the top member including an inverted plate-shaped member having a flange seated on the hover radially outward yof the top of the hover and a heat-insulating medium housed by the said plate-shaped member, the hover and the said flange having perforations adapted to be brought into or out of alinement by rotation of the top .member on the hover.

said top, and a top member movable upon the hover; the top member including a heatinsulating member overhanging substantially all of the said disk-like top and a metal member secured to the heat-insulating member, the said metal member having a peripheral portion seated on the hover, the said peripheral portion and the part of the hover on which the flange seats having perforations adapted to be brought into or out of alinement by rotation of the top member on the hoven Signed at Macomb, Illinois, July 21st, 1927.

JACOB T. LANDGRAF. 

